BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday congratulated two BJP leaders from the State, Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, who were sworn in as Union ministers.

The Chief Minister expressed hope that both the leaders will live up to the expectations of the people and present the voice of Odisha at the Centre. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the Chief Minister said, “Congratulate @dpradhanbjp ji and @pcsarangi ji on being sworn in as Union ministers. Wish you success in living upto the aspirations of every single Indian and presenting the voice of #Odisha at Centre”.
Pradhan, who took oath of office as a Cabinet Minister on Thursday, was inducted into the Modi Government for a second term while Pratap Sarangi, first-time MP from Balasore, was sworn in as a Minister of State.

A Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, Pradhan retained the portfolio of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He was also allotted the prestigious steel portfolio held by Biju Patnaik, Naveen Patnaik and Braja Kishore Tripathy in earlier ministries at the Centre.

Sarangi, the second Odia member in the Modi Ministry, became Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. Sarangi defeated BJD candidate and industrialist Rabindra Jena by a margin of 12,956 votes in the recently-concluded elections.

A two-time Independent MLA from Nilagiri Assembly constituency in Balasore district in 2004 and 2009, Sarangi had contested unsuccessfully as the BJP candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Taking charge of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel ministry separately, Pradhan told mediapersons that work started in the last five years in the earlier Government in both the ministries will be expedited. He said increase in production of petroleum and gas will be given priority.